1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to domestic appliances and in particular to juicers and shavers for food items such as fruit and vegetables.
2. Background Information
It is well known that fresh fruit and vegetables are beneficial for maintaining a healthy body. Fruit and vegetable juice contains a lot of vitamins, minerals and fibre. For this reason juice makers have become popular is and there are a number of known varieties on the market.
Much of the fibre in fruit and vegetables is in the flesh. Many known juice makers merely extract the fruit juice from the flesh and thus do nor provide the benefit of the additional fibre. Alternatively, the flesh can be pulped and added to the fruit drink, for example by blending, however this results in a drink with a very thick pureed consistency which might not be as refreshing on a hot day.
It is known to cool drinks by adding ice cubes. One solution to the above-mentioned problems is to freeze cubes of fruit, or vegetables, and add these frozen cubes to the fruit, or vegetable, juice drink. However this still poses problems as the cubes can take a long time to thaw and eating frozen fruit, or vegetable, cubes is not easily done. Unless the drinker consumes the fruit, or vegetable, cubes they do not get the benefit of additional fibre from the flesh.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a juicer that overcomes or ameliorates the above-mentioned is disadvantages or at least provides the public with a useful alternative.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a combination juicer and shaver including:
a housing including a shaving chamber and a juicer tray removably disposed above the shaving chamber,
a shaver blade and paddle disposed in juxtaposition in the shaving chamber,
a motor to rotate the paddle, and
a juicing cone with a drive coupling rotatably disposed in juxtaposition with the juicer tray, and wherein the drive coupling is operable to removably engage the paddle to cause rotation of the juicer cone.
Preferably, the housing also includes a collection container, the shaving chamber and juicer tray being in communication with the collection container.
Preferably, the juicer tray includes a juice collection portion, the juicing cone being disposed above the juice collection portion, and a gearbox having an input and an output shaft, the drive coupling disposed at the input shaft and the output shaft engaging the juicing cone.
Preferably, the shaving chamber has an opening, the shaver blade being disposed in juxtaposition with the opening, and wherein the paddle includes first and second mounting members and one or more paddle members disposed between the first and second mounting members, the first mounting member engaging an output shaft of the motor and the second mounting member adapted to removably engage the drive coupling.
Preferably, the collection container has a handle and a removable closure.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a combination Juicer and shaver including:
a shaver portion including a chamber and a shaving means in the chamber, the shaving means adapted co produce food shavings,
a juicer portion including a juicing means for extracting juice,
a drive means for producing operating movement in one of the shaving means or the juicing means, and
a coupling, wherein the juicer portion is removably receivable in juxtaposition the shaver portion and the coupling communicates the operating movement between the shaving means and juicing means,
Further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which is given by way of example only.